Raye Montague (1935 - 2018)

Montague joined the United States Navy in 1956 in Washington, D.C., as a clerk typist. At work, she sat next to a 1950s UNIVAC I computer, watching the engineers operate it until one day, when all the engineers were sick, she jumped in to run the machine. She took computer programming at night school while continuing to work and learn the job.

In the 1970s, her department was allotted one month to create a computer-generated ship design. By modifying existing automated systems, Montague produced the initial draft for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in less than 19 hours. With this accomplishment, she became the first person to design a ship using a computer system. She later worked on ships such as the Seawolf-class submarine and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. Source: Wikipedia

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The first *person* to design a ship using a computer system

Managing design projects for US Navy

Find more
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (Amazing Scientists series) (2018) by Julia Finley Mosca, illo by Daniel Rieley